Part 1 of the Apprenticeship Series
At the Field Studies Council, our Trainee Tutor apprenticeship is more than a stepping stone into outdoor education. It’s a chance to build confidence, develop practical skills, and work in some of the UK’s most inspiring natural environments.
In this first part of our Apprenticeship Series, we’re sharing real stories from three of our current Trainee Tutors — Alyssa, Katie, and Gabby — who generously shared their experiences, reflections, and favourite moments so far.
What inspired you to join the Field Studies Council as a Trainee Tutor?
Alyssa: “Living in Surrey and studying for my Master’s in Global Biodiversity, I knew the Field Studies Council as a well-respected organisation within the fields of ecology and conservation. I had used the Field Studies Council Field Guides throughout my studies, and knew about the biodiversity courses offered to adults with the intention of signing up to some upon graduation.
As I worked through my degree, I saw that the position for Trainee Tutor at Juniper Hall was advertised, and knew instantly that I wanted to apply: the position was for recent graduates, based outdoors, working with young people, and would allow me to get another qualification in Outdoor Education, which was perfect.”
Katie: “I was inspired to join the Field Studies Council to have a positive influence on students while sharing my passion for nature and outdoor learning.”
Gabby: “I’ve always felt happier when I am outside, and I have been in ‘teacher’ style roles before having been a Brownie Leader in Girlguiding since I was 14. I enjoy interacting with young people and think it is important to give them opportunities they may not usually get.”
What has been your favourite moment so far?
Alyssa: “One of my favourite moments has been working with a KS2 group, and inspiring curiosity in the outdoors with them. The residential visit was filled with wellbeing moments, as well as learning skills like fire lighting, shelter building and making ‘wild teas’. The course ended with a fun-filled campfire, where we roasted marshmallows and sang songs, before finishing with some quiet reflection time on their field trip to Juniper Hall.
I have also greatly enjoyed spending time with the team at Juniper Hall, working on tasks together, learning from them and doing ‘odd jobs’ like decorating for Christmas together. They have been so supportive through my time as Trainee Tutor and have all inspired me in different ways.”
Katie: “My favourite moment so far was a rainy rivers day that turned into a hilarious experience filled with mud slides and even retrieving an unexpected e-bike from the river.”
Gabby: “Last week I visited Rhyd Y Creueau for my ‘observation week’ which was a lovely way to start the new year. It was amazing to be in the middle of Eryri National Park for a week and enjoy all of the mountainous scenery. My favourite part of the week was taking the students into the moorland to measure peatbogs for carbon sequestration rates.”
How has working outdoors changed the way you think about nature or education?
Alyssa: “Working outdoors has confirmed to me that nature connection and time outdoors is integral to mental and physical wellbeing, in both adults and children. Nature and environmentalism should therefore be intertwined in everything we do, and we should try and facilitate this as much as possible in education.
Working at Juniper Hall has shown me how much students can learn working outdoors, not only about their fieldwork/curriculum content, but about resilience, environmental responsibility, and adaptability.”
Katie: “Working outdoors has shown me how valuable outdoor education is in helping students connect with nature, particularly those from inner-city London who may not have easy access to green spaces.”
Gabby: “Being outdoors always finds a way to improve my appreciation of the natural world. I love sharing my love of nature with other people and I always look for ways to integrate nature connectedness into my teaching.”
What does a typical day look like for you at your centre?
Alyssa: “Whilst there is no ‘typical’ day at Juniper Hall (particularly as we are a residential centre), a common day that we have is GCSE Geography students studying rivers for a day visit. We start with a staff meeting at 9am and then organise ourselves for students arriving at 10am.
We have a classroom introduction, we get wellies and waterproofs and then head out to our local river! Every group is different, but we spend time investigating different river sites, consolidating knowledge learnt at school, as well as building other transferable, soft skills. Students come away knowing that they can persevere through challenging activities and harsh weather, but have also hopefully enjoyed their day out in nature and will develop curiosity from this.”
Katie: “A typical day involves setting up my classroom, organising equipment such as wellies, delivering fieldwork sessions in Epping Forest like rivers studies, tidying teaching spaces and completing my apprenticeship work.”
Gabby: “At Epping Forest we teach a lot of GCSE Rivers, so my days are filled with talking about wellies and how to measure the width, depth and velocity of a river. Every day, no matter what I am doing, ends with reflecting on the day and what I have learnt. Plus, there is always some apprenticeship work to complete.”
A role shaped by nature, people, and purpose
Alyssa, Katie, and Gabby each bring their own passions, strengths, and experiences to the Trainee Tutor role — but their stories share a common thread: a love of the outdoors, a desire to inspire young people, and a belief in the power of learning in nature.
Their journeys show just how varied, rewarding, and impactful an apprenticeship with the Field Studies Council can be.
In Part 2 of this series, we’ll take you behind the scenes to meet our Trainee Tutor Coordinator who mentors and supports our trainees every step of the way.
If you would be interested in becoming a Trainee Tutor, we encourage you to sign up for job alerts so you can be the first to know when we are next advertising these positions.